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I am hungry... all the time...


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Lately, like the last week or 2, I've noticed a significant increase in my appetite. I am literally always hungry. I could eat all day long if there was food in front of me.

 

And the hard part is that at work, I can snack all day long. But if I don't have anything to snack on, I sit and feel hungry and it is annoying! I mean, why!?!?

 

I find myself getting really excited when I get to work in the morning cause I can eat my breakfast! And then I'll usually eat half my lunch before lunch even comes because it is just sitting there on my desk. And then I eat the rest of my lunch at 12 (and believe me it's hard to hold off that long). And then by the time I get home at 6:00 I am ravished...

 

I'm not sure if it's out of boredom... my job is REALLY boring most days and I think maybe I eat so that I have something to do. Because I do notice that when I'm at home and actually have stuff to do, I am eating less and don't notice being hungry so much.

 

What can I do about this? What are tips that I can do to keep myself from snacking? I mean, the obvious answer is to not bring in snacks.. but then I feel annoyed because I am hungry (or bored??)

 

So far I haven't really gained weight, but I know it will happen if I keep this up.

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I guess it depends on what you eat. Whole foods especially complex foods should keep you fuller longer as the body has to work harder than breaking down foods like donuts and processed foods.

 

And drink water if you feel you're hungry as sometimes your body can't differentiate between thirst & hunger.

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D I think it also has to do with the season. For instance in the winter I tend to eat more because I burn more calaries. Something about cold weather makes me burn more calories thus I get hungry quickly. Summer I eat less. Keep on snacking healthy wouldn't do any harm. Try to train your body to eating 5-6 small meals a day.

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Have you started working out?

 

My appetite sky rockets when I work out, I can't keep up with my hunger sometimes.

 

Make sure you're getting enough sleep and sunshine too, a lack of these can cause increased hunger.

 

Yes, I've been working out more now that I have in my entire life! I wonder if that's it. But I am lacking in sleep lately..

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I guess it depends on what you eat. Whole foods especially complex foods should keep you fuller longer as the body has to work harder than breaking down foods like donuts and processed foods.

 

And drink water if you feel you're hungry as sometimes your body can't differentiate between thirst & hunger.

 

Haha, no I'm not pregnant. It would be impossible for me to be since I'm not having sex...

 

Good idea, I'll trying filling up my water bottle more often. But then I have to pee every hour, lol! Oh, well I suppose it's worth it.

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D I think it also has to do with the season. For instance in the winter I tend to eat more because I burn more calaries. Something about cold weather makes me burn more calories thus I get hungry quickly. Summer I eat less. Keep on snacking healthy wouldn't do any harm. Try to train your body to eating 5-6 small meals a day.

 

Interesting, I never thought about the season.

What do you suggest for a small meal? I'm the kind of person where I eat until I am full and I can't move, so this concept would be very new to me, haha!

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Then you're not eating enough...

 

You should eat at least a gram of protein per pound of your bodyweight to maintain the muscle mass and about the same amount for carbs. 40/40/20 and 20% being good fats. Plus if you're working out you should be taking in more fluids.

 

Not eating enough!? Never expected to hear that, haha. But I guess I never really thought about how my working out would affect my body. It's not like I am working out intensely or anything.. but I try to go 4 times a week to do cardio and a bit of weight training and I have never done that before in my life.

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Not eating enough!? Never expected to hear that, haha. But I guess I never really thought about how my working out would affect my body. It's not like I am working out intensely or anything.. but I try to go 4 times a week to do cardio and a bit of weight training and I have never done that before in my life.

 

You're breaking down your body especially with weight training, if you don't eat enough protein and carbs your body will basically start leeching off nutrients from places you don't want; it doesn't necessarily come from excess fat and could lead to muscle loss.

 

Try and see what kind of caloric intake you should be targeting: link removed

 

And if you eat say five small meals a day, adjust the calories if you're feeling full quicker or are still hungry.

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It's most likely the increased exercise. Up your protein and complex carb intake. I would not worry about it, just eat more of healthy things and if you continue to exercise you will be fine.

 

You might remain hungry after eating because of what you're eating. I can eat a huge bowl of white rice and I'm hungry less than an hour later. I have to add eggs, whole wheat bread, mixed nuts or switch to brown rice to be full. The white stuff moves right through me. Especially when I'm working out, I NEED fibre and complex carbs in order to feel full for longer than 3 hours... by 4 hours I usually need a snack no matter how much I've had to eat before though

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White rice is too high in GI, anything starchy, your body can break down easier but doesn't do much for sustaining long term energy. It's common for people to switch to brown rice and other lower GI carbs. I love white rice too though. I could eat few cups in one sitting with the right food. Oatmeal on the other hand is excellent food for the morning; 150 calories can feel like 300 while controlling your hunger better.

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Hmmm, I'll have to think more about what I'm eating.

 

Usually for breakfast I have a wholegrain bagel and a bowl of Special K. The odd time I'll have an orange or a fruit with it.

Then I'll usually eat my granola bar before lunch. And for lunch I'll either have whatever left overs I had from the night before and an apple, plus a chocolate pudding (I need my chocolate fix), haha. If I don't have left overs I'll have a spinach salad with a sandwich or a soup. Usually I'll have cucumbers or carrots or something else to snack on too..

 

I've never really been a fan of oatmeal but maybe I'll have to try. And I don't buy white rice, only brown. I usually have chicken or turkey or pork for supper with potatoes or pasta of some kind and a salad or a vegetable. Or else egg wraps or pitas with spinach and chicken.

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The simpler way to look at it, all your body is trying to do is get nutrients and break down the foods to convert them into energy. It's not so much that healthy foods are just 'good' for you but because the body actually has to work harder to break them down, it uses more energy, time and get the necessary nutrients to support the body. But what happens if you eat something like say a cereal is that the body can convert them into energy easier than say a bowl of oatmeal. So you end up eating more calories then you should because the body has used that energy quicker while with complex foods, it's more spread out. It's probably why you're hungry. You definitely need some more protein to go with it.

 

Wholegrain is fine as long as you're not eating it excessively. Protein & carbs work in tandem so try to combine them, say two eggs and one egg whites, glass of 2% or lower milk, some nuts and fruit. Mix of green salads combined with grilled chicken/salmon or any lean meat for lunch. I don't know if you tried protein shake in between meals but they keep you full long as well. Protein shake with some carbs like banana or an apple. Mix it up and see what kind of food keeps you fuller longer while maintaining that good balance of protein/carb/fat intake.

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Okay, thanks for all the tips! I am going to look into more foods that keep me full for longer so that I don't have so many calories, but still feel full.

 

Like I just ate 2 hours ago (had my cereal, bagel, 700 mL of water, and my granola bar and I feel hungry)

so I definitely want to do something to stop this.

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